There will be no return to France for al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden’s fourth son, the country’s interior minister announced Thursday.
Omar bin Laden was expelled last year from a Normandy village he was living in after he was accused of glorifying acts of terror on social media.
The BBC reports the 43-year-old had been earning a living painting landscape portraits and is currently residing in Qatar.
But new Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said he signed an order barring him from returning to France, accusing him of authoring social media posts last year which “glorified terrorism.”
Bin Laden left France after his residency permit was revoked for two years by officials in the wake of the posts. French media reported the dispute related to content marking the anniversary of his father’s death.
He has lived in France since 2016, earning a residency permit through his marriage to UK citizen Zaina Mohamed Al-Sabah – born Jane Felix-Browne.
Born in Saudi Arabia, Mr Bin Laden left his father’s side in 2000 after training at jihadist camps in Afghanistan.
Retailleau’s decision came as he met with 21 prefects, each responsible for a different French département, to discuss immigration.
The talks will focus more specifically on how to deal more efficiently with the legal measure called “obligation to leave French territory,” or OQTF, which is primarily used to deport foreign nationals.
